David Horowitz Presents a New Category: “Attacking America” on Foreign Media”

David Horowitz, a leading conservative critic–Â some would say provocateur– of higher education has for several years published a DiscovertheNetworks website allegedly linking all the progressives to some type of conspiratorial cabal. Through graphs, subheadings and other categorisations, a Fifth Column entity is portrayed. Actually I would be more sanguine if Mr Horowitz actually did the profiling but I am certain he delegates much of this ideologically inspired enterprise to aides, subordinates, FrontPageMag.com contributors and other acolytes.

Mr HorowitzÂ now proffersÂ a new web page critiquing scholars and politicians that have appeared on media from Islamic nations with significant geostrategic disputes with the United States. It contains a rather provocative title:

I think it important to emulate Jane Fonda when she attempted to save the children and limit the genocide in her courageous trip to Hanoi during the later stages of the Vietnam War. Of course, we are not currently in a war with Iran and Syria, but even if we were, I would have appeared on those broadcasts. It is essential, as the Iraq Study Group recommended, that our government engage our adversaries in direct diplomacy. I think that recommendation can be extended to citizens also attempting to bridge the divide of acrimony and needless conflict. While Sen. Hillary Clinton apparently believes it is naive to do so, I was pleased that Senator Barack Obama has reiterated his willingness toÂ engage in directÂ diplomacy with heads of stateÂ in order to reduce tensions and enhance international peace and security.

It is not improper, unprofessional or disloyal for an American to appear on state-controlled media of ANY nation as long as the content of the speech does not advocate violence and the content of the remarks are not coerced or censored. In my own appearances, while I was harsh in my criticism of the United States and Israel, I condemned the use of force. MyÂ remarks, while edited from an original taping, were not distorted. I had the subtitles examined recentlyÂ by an Iranian-American colleague who attested to their accuracy.

Ironically, I experience less censorship on Iran TV than I frequently encounter in America. I am frequently prevented from articulating views in the United States that I did on I.R.I.B. due to the restrictive centrism of America’s media. It is very difficult to be critical of the State of Israel on US television and rarely does one encounter charges of America being a “pariah or outlaw state.” While I am not suggesting that our media is state-controlled to the degree it isÂ in Iran or Syria, it generally is supportive of administrative policy and rarely allows sustained, progressive criticism of the current order. I have had to “tone” done my remarks whenever I appear on electronic or print media.